From boredom to boredoom
by The 3 She-geeks
Summary: It all began with a gift... Just an innocent gift, really... A gift a bit special, like all gifts have to be, that was supposed to help his friends from former Fellowship cheer up... How could Pippin know it would bring such doom upon them? Set after RotK
1. A Plan

**From Boredom to Boredoom…**

  
  
  
**Authors:** Two of The 3 She-geeks.  
**Rating:** PG-13  
**Disclaimer:** The characters in this story or even the universe they evolve in do not belong to us but to J.R.R. Tolkien. Just in case this really needed to be stated...  
**Summary:** It all began with a gift... Just an innocent gift, really... A gift a bit special of course - like all gifts have to be - that was supposed to help his friends cheer up... How could Pippin know it would bring such doom upon them? Set after RotK. Features all remaining members of former Fellowship.  
  
  
  
**Autors' notes:** You will probably find in this story a mix of both book-verse and movie-verse Middle-earth. One of us usually writes book-verse wise, while the other has a tendency to make allusions to the movie-verse, to the first's greatest despair as well as to her greatest pleasure I have to admit… (now try to guess which one is writing those lines…)(if you find out, today's prize is a wonderful pressure cooker all in stainless steel)(aren't you all excited, huh?). There might also be some humor in the first chapters (sometimes out of place, but there are times when one just can't help it...), but it won't last, as the next ones will soon get much more angsty.  
Please also note the following anachronism. In this story, set several years after the end of the War of the Ring, Frodo and Gandalf have not left for Aman, while Bilbo has. We know, it's strange. But we needed both characters, so… No offence intended, and deepest apologies to anyone who feels shocked by the freedom we took. We hope you will like the story anyway.  
As Gandalf had not left Middle-earth, we agreed to have him settle in Orthanc Tower, which would have been converted into a place of knowledge - think "library" for instance.  
  
  


**Chapter 1: A Plan**

  
  
In a little Hobbit hole, just after dusk, a group of young Hobbits were waiting restlessly; they were muttering to each other and when the door was opened, they suddenly stopped talking. Another Hobbit came in, and he was still wearing the leaf-shaped brooch Lady Galadriel gave him all those years ago in the Golden Forest. He smiled as usual and took off his scarf, and when he sat down in the couch next to the fireplace all the kids sat down in a circle around him.  
  
"So, what new story about the Ring do you want to hear tonight?" Pippin asked with excitement. "How Merry and I joined the fellowship? How Merry and I managed to involve the Ents in the fight against Saruman? How Hobbits saved Middle-earth? How…"  
  
One of the young Hobbits, a cute little girl with wide blue eyes, interrupted him: "Can you tell us about something else?"  
  
Pippin looked at her, a bit confused. "Something else? Like… Errr, have I ever told you about how Merry and I stole the -"  
  
Another young Hobbit, one with a scarf, curled brown hair and a really strange resemblance to Pippin, stopped him. "No, something *really* different. Something that is not about the Ring of Power or one of your pranks. I am sorry daddy, but… we know all of them by heart…"  
  
"Oh…" Pippin uttered with a disappointed tone.  
  
Another Hobbit adult came in and took Pippin's place. Then he was asked by one of the kids to start storytelling, hence he began to talk about a stupid myth in which a young and sleeping woman was waiting for her first kiss of true love. Pippin rolled his eyes and walked away to go to Merry's. Pippin was obviously upset and his friend tried to calm him down.  
  
"What happened?" Merry asked.  
  
"It's horrible! I have bored them!"  
  
Merry looked at his friend a few seconds with puzzlement before going on. "Have you told them how Gandalf defeated Saruman in Theoden's mind?"  
  
"At least four times! They know all our stories by heart! Even my *own* son told me to tell them about something different!  
  
The older Hobbit patted his friend's shoulder. "We knew we would have to face this one day. The Quest for the Ring is far behind us and now we are like any other Hobbit."  
  
"No, we're not!" Pippin denied. "Even before all those adventures we have never been like other Hobbits! We've always been feared for our pranks and now that we have done something heroic and brave, we can't boast any more?" He paused a few seconds, and finally sighed. "Maybe you're right; our lives have been so intense, I feel almost empty now…"  
  
"I know, I feel the same." Merry answered. "So must feel all the others I guess…"  
  


*****

  
  
Pricking up his ears, Legolas turned towards the southwest and slightly narrowed his eyes. "Orcs!" he finally declared.  
  
At his side, Gimli turned as well to face their coming enemies, preparing his axe for battle. His hands tightened around its hilt, and despite he could not see any Orc himself yet, he trusted his elven friend's keen eyes. His shoulders' muscles tensed in anticipation as adrenaline began to flow through his veins.  
  
In the meantime, Legolas had drawn his bow and bent it, an arrow already notched on the string and ready to be shot. He scanned in the distance, and as soon as an Orc was close enough he fired. The arrow transpierced the foul creature's neck and the Orc fell to the ground with a thud, and immediately the elf took another arrow out of his quiver.  
  
On his part, Gimli was itching to get into the heat of battle, and it was with some annoyance that he waited as Legolas shot a second arrow and prepared a new one, while another Orc fell dead.  
  
The elf stood motionless, still scrutinizing and his bow still bent. The enemy didn't seem to be coming. After a few seconds, the dwarf put the tip of his axe on the floor and rested an elbow on its handle with a sigh of impatience.  
  
Legolas was still immobile, but suddenly he lowered his bow, a frown on his fair face.  
  
Gimli turned to him with astonishment. "Is that all? Only two of them?"  
  
"I am afraid it is so, Gimli." the archer answered while putting his arrow back in his quiver. They then began to walk side by side towards the two corpses to collect the other arrows.  
  
"There used to be more Orcs in this area…" the dwarf complained.  
  
"Yes…"  
  
Gimli cast a side look to his friend. "The next time, be kind and leave one for me…"  
  
Silently, Legolas retrieved his arrows with a slight smile, while the dwarf grumbled again: "After all, the fall of Sauron made life rather boring… And honestly, I could live with some more excitement than watching you have all the fun of killing the few foes that are still around…" He paused. "I wonder how Aragorn fares…"  
  


*****

  
  
A young man was sitting on a chair in the middle of the biggest room of the castle of the White City. His lawyer was speaking in front of the jury, and most of the members of the latter had already fallen asleep. The King himself was quite bored by the story this man was telling. His neighbor had *dared* cut in his garden a tree that had been planted by his great-great-great-grandfather decades and decades ago. And to most of the audience despair, his lawyer could not stop explaining *how* afflicted his client was.  
  
Aragorn had even started to wonder why exactly he had established those laws that had allowed this trial when the lawyer defending the neighbor stood up loudly for an objection.  
  
"Objection your Honor! This tree was blocking the view to the valley. My client could not even enjoy the rise of the sun."  
  
"But your client cut in the middle of the night something that did not belong to him!" the other lawyer retorted. "And this is the point your Honor, this neighbor," he began, walking toward Aragorn's throne, "has acted slyly."  
  
"Slyly?" Aragorn repeated.  
  
"Yes." The lawyer then spoke more softly. "This evil man -" he started, pointing a finger at the defendant.  
  
Aragorn rose his gray eyes to lay them on the defendant. "Evil…" he muttered, as if the word was echoing in his mind.  
  
"He has acted like a traitor…" the lawyer went on.  
  
"Traitor…" Aragorn repeated again.  
  
"Objection your Honor!" the lawyer of the defendant shouted. "The accusation is obviously trying to profit from the King's past as a warrior!"  
  
Suddenly a hammer hit the desk in front of the throne. "This session is suspended." Arwen declared.  
  
As everyone was leaving the room, Arwen put her hand on Aragorn's shoulder who was still a bit dizzy. Before everyone left she heard the lawyer of the accusation say "I should have gone to an Ent trial."  
  
"Aragorn?" the elven Queen asked.  
  
"Hmmm? Oh, sorry, I was thinking about something else." He took the following folder on the desk, "complaint about a barking dog" it read, and then tossed it on the desk with a sigh. "I am not made to be a judge; I can take good decisions under pressure, when time is precious. But in this case, I-"  
  
"You are bored," his wife interrupted. "You have served your kingdom well by fighting for freedom, but now you have to face the daily requests."  
  
"Only two days left… Want you not to leave sooner? I am sure they will be early as well."  
  
"I know, I am also looking forward to go to the Shire for Frodo's birthday. Let us leave tomorrow then, but in the meantime I am sure you will sacrifice yourself and finish dealing with those cases. One is interesting."  
  
" Really?" Aragorn asked with surprise.  
  
Arwen patted his shoulder and smiled. "I was kidding, but I know how humor can put you in a good disposition."  
  


*****

  
  
In Orthanc Tower, Gandalf the White was packing his luggage. Someone came to him, obviously perplexed by this attitude.  
  
"Mithrandir! I know you are going but why are you packing? You do not need to do so."  
  
"I know!" Gandalf exclaimed. "And that is exactly why I am packing!"  
  
"You have spent too much time with those Hobbits, you should take some rest."  
  
"What do you think I have been doing here?" Gandalf closed his luggage loudly and walked toward the window. He could see the green valley, the forest growing slowly and Shadowfax running in slow motion from time to another in the meadow. "At least when I was a grey wizard I was to explore Middle-earth, to investigate strange matters-"   
  
"You *really* have to stop seeing those Hobbits." the other insisted.  
  
"I have nothing more to do here. What am I supposed to do? Administrate the Tower, the power of magic? If I do not do something else soon I will turn mad and be as perverted as Saruman was." He shook his head. "Actually I understand why he turned so bad…"  
  
"But you can not just leave like this!"  
  
"Really? Can I not?" Leaving his luggage on his bed Gandalf walked toward the door and took one more step to be out of his room. "See? I can. And I will. I am going to the Shire. You know where to find me."  
  
Gandalf turned back to take his luggage, and then walked down the stairs to call his horse in the meadow.  
  
The other man looked at him through the window and shook his head. "The mushrooms those Hobbits cook must have an addictive effect…" he told himself.  
  


*****

  
  
Sam laid a worried look on Frodo. The latter had sat down at the table and was now staring intently at his plate, as if hypnotized by its contents. And Sam could honestly not tell why as it was just plain old Shire food. He watched his master lift his fork and use it to turn his meat with an expression of utter boredom on his face.  
  
"You should eat, Mister Frodo." Sam said worriedly.  
  
"Hmm…" was the only answer he got, while Frodo kept on playing with his food.  
  
A concerned frown appeared on Sam's forehead. Frodo had been like that for days, barely eating, and he knew he hadn't had much sleep either. Watching him closely, Sam studied his face. Bags under the eyes, lost gaze, not a single hint of a smile… In fact, he looked rather… depressed.  
  
Hopefully his coming birthday might succeed in cheering him up.  
  
"Sam?"  
  
Surprised, the gardener looked up. "Yes?"  
  
Frodo pushed the plate away from him and shook his head. "I am not hungry…"  
  
"But you have to eat Mister Frodo!" Sam exclaimed.  
  
The other Hobbit stood up. "I… think I will have a little stroll…" He walked towards the door, grabbing his coat on his way.  
  
"But, Mister Frodo! Mister Frodo!!" Despite Sam's calls, Frodo didn't turn round and closed the door behind him.  
  
Sam was now more worried than ever.  
  


*****

  
  
Pippin was happily walking down a street in Hobbiton, humming to himself some joyful song, when he saw Frodo at some distance, walking in the opposite direction, seeming to be miles away and his eyes fixed on the ground.  
  
"Hey, Frodo!" he called with enthusiasm, waving at his friend. The latter didn't look up. "Frodo?" he called again.  
  
"Hmm…" Frodo finally answered, his eyes never leaving the ground, and he eventually walked past Pippin.  
  
Pippin blinked several times, turning to watch the other Hobbit move away. An ill feeling began to grow in his heart, and he found himself hurrying to Merry's home.  
  
Pippin burst loudly into his best friend's home. "Merry. We have to do something."  
  
Merry looked up from his meal. "Good elevensies to you too, Pippin. It's always a pleasure to see how well-mannered you are…"  
  
"We have no time for this, Merry." Pippin stated and took the fork from his friend's hand, provoking a cry of protestation.  
  
"Hey!"  
  
"Have you seen Frodo lately? He looks like a zombie. He barely acknowledged me when I called him!"  
  
"I have to admit that it is sometimes wiser to just ignore you…" Merry suggested, trying to grab his fork.  
  
"I am serious, Merry."  
  
The unusual gravity in Pippin's tone made his cousin stop trying to get his utensil back. He sighed. "I know Frodo has been behaving strangely recently. Did you think I hadn't noticed?"  
  
"Strangely? He is *depressed*! Sam told me he had even seen him down near the river, throwing stone after stone in the water for *hours*, not even caring to eat for the whole day!"  
  
"But what could we do about it?"  
  
"Don't you understand? It's all connected! The War of the Ring is over and our Quest is achieved. We all feel useless now. *I* feel useless. *You* feel useless. *Sam* feels… hum… Sam is a very active husband and accomplished father, so maybe he doesn't feel that useless… And finally *Frodo*, I guess, must feel extremely useless. He was the Ringbearer after all. And he no more is."  
  
"So what do you suggest we do?"  
  
Pippin grinned. "I have a plan… And until Frodo's birthday, we will have to prepare a few things…"  
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Here we are...  
Feel free to give us your opinion in a review if you wish to!  
Suggestions and constructive criticism always welcome.  
  
Stay tuned for chapter 2: "_Birthday Party_"!  
  
_**~ The 3 She-geeks ~**_  



	2. Birthday Party

**From Boredom to Boredoom…  
  
Chapter 2: Birthday Party**

  
  
  
Frodo walked idly through the woods that bordered the road to Bree. He was lost deep in his thoughts, as he had been most of the time for the past months. He didn't pay much attention to his surroundings, just enough to avoid collisions with trees – although that maple almost took him by surprise.  
  
The sun would soon set soon, but he didn't care – he didn't care much for anything any more, anyway. He jumped when he heard a familiar voice behind him.  
  
"What is a Hobbit doing alone so far from his home just before dusk?"  
  
Frodo turned round, and for the first time since many days, a smile illuminated his face. "Gandalf!" he called at the sight of his wizard friend standing next to his horse. The hands on his hips and mirth in his eyes, he added: "You're la-…" He hesitated. "Hum… Very early actually… My birthday will not be celebrated before five days."  
  
"I know." Gandalf answered. "I was just bor-… hum… borrowing a book from a colleague when I thought I could arrive early for once…"   
  
They walked together towards Frodo's house, talking about the good old days and gossiping about the rest of the former Fellowship.  
  
"And how is Aragorn faring? I haven't seen him for… almost one year. He must be very busy with all his royal occupations…" Frodo's voice lowered during the last part of his sentence.   
  
"Oh yes, he is indeed. But it did not work out as he had hoped it. He was dreaming of a great democracy, with its own power, there to help the neighbouring nations." Gandalf stopped walking and stared at Frodo. "Instead of that, he is judging neighbourhood issues. I saw him recently; Arwen told me he needed to change his mind. And I am sure they will be early as I am!"  
  
A noise from a bush made Frodo turn back. Gandalf patted his friend's shoulder.   
  
"Do not worry, it is only the wind… You are still nervous after all those years, are you not?" Gandalf asked, urging him to go on walking and enter his house.   
  
"Yes." Frodo looked at Gandalf, hesitating to add something. But as they were now near his courtyard, he ran to the door and welcomed Gandalf has he deserved. "Welcome to my humble house, Mithrandir."  
  
"Oh, oh! Please do not call me like that, Frodo. I just want to be Gandalf when I am in the Shire. Is Sam still your gardener?"  
  
"Yes." Frodo replied proudly.  
  
"Those roses are beautiful… No wonder he chose a wife named Rosie."   
  
"It's warmer inside!" Frodo said as he went in.  
  
Gandalf followed him and closed the door behind him. A short while after, a bush started moving and speaking in Frodo's courtyard.  
  
"We have almost been caught! Actually, I'm rather surprised Gandalf didn't notice us. I think he's getting old… And we are too old ourselves to hide in bushes, Pippin…" Merry sighed, brushing his clothes as he was talking to his cousin. "Can you tell me again why we are tracking our best mates?"  
  
"Have you not seen? We have to do something!"  
  
"I have just seen two fellows talking about the good old days. Frodo has been smiling and Gandalf as well."  
  
Pippin and Merry kept on talking while they were getting back to their homes. In front of Merry's house they agreed.  
  
"We won't need much time; I already know where to find the things we need. Merry? Are you still with me?"  
  
"Yes, but I was wondering if it was the best thing to do. We may just speak with them and-"  
  
"You have seen Frodo as I have. Even with Gandalf he kept brooding. It's even worse because now they are brooding together."  
  
"Ok, Pippin. You're right. When will we do it?"   
  
"The best is to begin as soon as possible. I just need a couple of days to get organized and find those things."  
  


*****

  
  
In the morning Frodo was suddenly awoken by a sound coming from the courtyard. He stood up quickly, Gandalf was up too; he had heard it as well. The wizard just had the time to handle tightly his staff before the door opened.   
  
Gandalf had a strange deja vu feeling when both sides of the door opened slowly and Aragorn, wet haired, came in and looked up at the wizard.  
  
"I have dreamt to do it again for years!" Aragorn said cheerfully.  
  
"Don't tell me you have deliberately wetted your hair?" Gandalf asked suspiciously.  
  
"Actually it is raining outside. Arwen is fastening the horses." Aragorn turned to face Frodo and took a knee as the Strider he once was had done before. "Frodo. I am so happy to see you."  
  
"So am I, Strider. So am I…"  
  


*****

  
  
Preparations for Frodo's birthday had begun with excitement in the Hobbit village. The presence of Frodo's friends was a consolation for him, and he was acting like his old self again. He would have preferred to celebrate his birthday with them only, but after the Quest of the Ring he became quite well known in the Shire, and had had to invite more people. Not as much as Bilbo had for his 111th birthday, but still more than he had wished.  
  
Everything was unfolding rather well. He put up both Aragorn and Arwen himself, while Gandalf was dwelling at Merry's. However, a few things were worrying him greatly. First, Pippin had been nowhere to be found for at least the last two days. Frodo had asked his wife about it, but Diamond had been at a total loss. She herself did not know where her husband was gone as he had only told her he would be back in time for Frodo's birthday. But his birthday was now the next day, and he began to fear the worst for his friend, thinking about the dark shadows that still haunted his dreams.  
  
And second, elf and dwarf had not arrived yet. They had not forgotten, had they? He knew both of them had a good memory – well, Legolas was an elf, and Gimli could hold grudges so long he certainly had an excellent memory – and he could not believe they would not come. They surely would not miss an occasion to size each other up, be it for a drinking contest.  
  
He was now paying a visit to Merry, while Gandalf was outside, busy preparing some fireworks for the party, to the Hobbit children greatest pleasure. And for that matter, Faramir – Pippin's son – had a curiosity that equaled his father's, and was at the moment vigorously questioning Gandalf – or annoying him like any Took would, the wizard might rectify jokingly.  
  
"Merry, have you seen Pippin lately?" Frodo asked.  
  
Merry looked up. "Huh? Who?" he stuttered, taken off guard by the question.  
  
"Peregrin Took. Your cousin," Frodo articulated slowly, surprised by his friend's attitude.  
  
"Oh, him…" Merry answered with a nervous laugh. "Why are you asking?" he questioned suspiciously.  
  
Frodo blinked at the other Hobbit, wondering about his strange behavior. "Because he's been missing for the last days, and as you're the one he spends the most time with I thought that maybe you would know where he is."  
  
"I know nothing," Merry hastened to answer.  
  
As if to contradict his sayings, the backdoor slowly opened and Pippin sneaked in. "I'm back Merry! And I have –"  
  
His cousin quickly interrupted him. "Hey, look who's back Frodo!!" he said, loud enough to cover Pippin's voice.  
  
"Hey Pippin," Frodo called rather happily. "I am glad to see you."  
  
Pippin stared at him, clearly embarrassed. "Oh. Frodo. You're here. I… huh…" he said, clumsily hiding his backpack behind him.  
  
"Where have you been?" Frodo enquired. "I was beginning to worry."  
  
"I have been… huh… Outside. Obviously."  
  
"But what for?"   
  
"For… huh… A surprise. For your birthday."  
  
"Oh," Frodo just said. "I am sorry. I will go then, and let you prepare your… surprise!" he added, emphasizing the last word with a half wink. As he had just said he walked out, leaving the two other Hobbits alone.  
  
Merry stepped towards his cousin. "Oh, that's just great Pippin!" he exclaimed rather angrily. "Now he thinks we're preparing a surprise for his birthday!"  
  
"Well in a way that's true…"  
  
Merry sighed. "Did you find everything?"  
  
Pippin grinned. "Absolutely! Now all we have to do is set everything up!"  
  
The older Hobbit sighed once more. "I hope this is going to work. I really do."  
  


*****

  
  
The awaited day eventually came to most of the Shire's delight. Many tables had been prepared with unlimited buffet, along with appropriate decorations. In barely a few hours the celebration would begin, but oddly Gimli and Legolas were still not there. Frodo was no longer the only one to worry about them, and Aragorn had even offered to go off for a scout around.  
  
But then to everyone's relief they finally arrived, just in time. They were both greeted warmly by their friends and former companions.  
  
"I am sorry we arrived so late," Gimli apologized to Frodo, "but this elf has the ill tendency to shuffle quite too much."  
  
"Oh, really? Have I?" Legolas inquired. "Did it occur to you that when I did so it was to adapt to your pace?"  
  
"I was beginning to wonder if you two would arrive before the end of the Fourth Age…" Aragorn joked, until he noticed they had no mount. "Where is your horse?"  
  
"Ask the dwarf…" Legolas answered. "For it is because of his aversion for horses that we had to go on foot and hence arrived so late…"  
  
"I just said that I would not mount this creature again," Gimli objected. "As far as I am concerned you were free to ride if you wished to."  
  
Before the elf could answer anything, Frodo interrupted their soon to be endless argument. "Now that everyone is here, we can begin the party!" he said with a grin.  
  
At his side, Sam smiled as well. Not that he was extremely impatient to see the party start, but he was happy to see a smile on his Master's face for a change.  
  


*****

  
  
Frodo had insisted for all the former members of the Fellowship – along with Arwen of course – to sit at the same table for the dinner, and they had all complied with pleasure. Unfortunately they had not managed to have Legolas and Gimli sit at opposite sides of said table, hence they would not fail to start one of their faked arguments. However, Frodo was sure that even at opposite sides of the table they would still find a way.  
  
Pippin and Merry discreetly walked toward a tent while the party was going full swing. But this time Gandalf had kept a close watch on the two fellows and he soon joined them in the tent.  
  
"Do you really think I do not know you enough by now?" Gandalf asked as he caught the Hobbits searching for what he assumed to be fireworks. "Although I thought that time would instill some wisdom in you."  
  
"Eerr… It is not what it seems to be." Merry began before is cousin nudged him.  
  
"Actually it is exactly what it seems to be."  
  
"Mmh…" Gandalf muttered, puzzled by this quick confession.   
  
"Shall we turn out by ourselves?" Pippin offered, and the two Hobbits ran out before he could find an answer.  
  
The dwarf and elf inevitable confrontation began when Legolas asked for someone to hand him the drinks. Gimli jumped on the occasion to start the hostilities.  
  
"You are too used to elven wine, Legolas. You will not manage to stand Hobbit beer very long."  
  
"You need not worry, I will very well manage it," the elf assured.  
  
"You should not overestimate your resistance. I bet we will find you rolling under the table before that jug is even emptied."  
  
Legolas stared at him. "Is that a challenge, master dwarf?"  
  
Gimli shrugged. "I am just saying, master elf, that a dwarf certainly has more endurance to alcohol than any elf on Middle-earth."  
  
Soon the pair engaged into a drinking contest, as Frodo had foreseen. Actually it had not been hard for him to do so, since he had already witnessed something similar a while ago in Minas Tirith, for Aragorn's and Arwen's wedding. At the time, it had ended with both of them completely drunk. He had eventually found Legolas examining his pointy ears with utter fascination, and Gimli snoring loudly, the mouth wide open and drool dripping from it. And from the looks of it, it would soon follow the same path.   
  
Hobbits children never grew weary of magic and Gandalf never grew weary of amazing them. This time he made flowers appear, the most beautiful orchids any man had ever seen. Gandalf quickly regretted his choice, since as soon as the kids went to bed, Sam pounced on the wizard, harassing him with gardening questions.  
  
After a couple of hours only Legolas and Gimli's argument had turned much more entertaining as both were now searching their words.  
  
"Admit it Legolas… You can not… huh… endure… endure?… huh… Yes, endure… more than I can…"  
  
"I can not admit something that is so ob… obvou… obvusy… huh… clearly wrong…"  
  
"It is not my fault if you never seem to see the truth…"  
  
"Gimli, you are… huh…" Legolas hesitated, looking for a suitable insult to answer back. "You are… a dwarf… I think… You are a dwarf, right?"  
  
"I… think so…"  
  
"Then a dwarf you are…. A drunk dwarf…"  
  
"I am not drunk, and I will show you I can still –" Gimli suddenly looked all over the table, as if searching something. "Hey, where is my glass?"  
  
Legolas laughed. "See? Drunk. Can not even keep an eye on your –" He frowned. "Hey, my glass is gone too!"  
  
In front of them, Sam tried to look as innocent as possible while he held the discreetly grabbed glasses behind his back, hoping none of them would hear anything when he would drop them on the grass to free his hands.  
  


*****

  
  
A while afterwards, the former Fellowship members gathered at Frodo's house to have a late drink, and Frodo was opening his gifts. The royal couple of Gondor offered him a fine and rare elvish jewel; Sam gave him a scarf his wife had knit especially for the occasion representing all his best friends; Legolas and Gimli had managed to agree on a knife, the blade had been forged by Gimli and it had a strange axe look-alike shape, while the hilt had been carved by Legolas with elvish words to wish him a happy birthday.   
  
Pippin and Merry gave their gift last; Frodo unwrapped the package and discovered the most beautiful leather bound book he had ever seen. There was as well a sliver pen that he hesitated to handle. Frodo was wordless.  
  
"We knew you missed Bilbo's stories, so we thought it was time for you to write your own." Merry explained.  
  
Frodo hugged his friends. "Where did you go to find such a beautiful object?"   
  
Pippin shrugged. "The only thing I am allowed to tell you is that it took me a couple of days to get it!"  
  
"Thank you so much." Frodo faced all his friends. "Thanks to all of you."  
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Here we are again!  
Feel free to give us your opinion in a review if you wish to!  
Suggestions and constructive criticism always welcome.  
  
Stay tuned for chapter 3: "_A Special Gift_", in which the story will *really* begin, promised!  
  
_**~ The 3 She-geeks ~**_  



	3. A Special Gift

**From Boredom to Boredoom…  
  
Chapter 3: A Special Gift**

  
  
  
The next day, early in the morning, Frodo was already up and at his window, the silver pen in his hand and the book on his knees. He had been thinking since the previous night about what would be the first thing he would write down.  
  
As usual, Sam arrived early to take care of the garden. Frodo folded the book under his arm and joined his friend.  
  
"What are you doing here, Sam? I told you that considering the late hour the party ended last night, you could have a day off."  
  
"I am taking care of your flowers of course! You can not imagine how much care they need, and they would with no doubt suffer from a day off." He glanced at the book. "It is a very nice gift. I wonder where they found it, surely during one of their trips."  
  
"Your gift was very nice as well." Frodo indicated the scarf around his shoulders, protecting his neck from the cold morning breeze.  
  
Sam smiled at him. "Have you begun to write something down?"  
  
"Not yet, I am still trying to figure what would be the best beginning. Many a time have I thought about writing something before, but now the words would not come."  
  
A few meters away, Pippin and Merry were hidden in a bush. Again.  
  
"If it is to be one of our new habits, I would like to choose the next bush if you don't mind. This one is thorny."  
  
"Sshh, Merry. He is going to hear us."  
  
"Why don't we just ask him if he has written something?"  
  
"Like what? 'Hey, Frodo, have you noticed anything strange with the book we gave you?' We don't want to raise his suspicion. Have you filled the pen as she told us?"  
  
"Yes. I do not feel at ease with that, Pippin. Are you sure we are doing the right thing?"  
  


*****

  
  
In the afternoon, Frodo was joined by Gandalf in his courtyard; he still had the book with him and the pen in his hand. He was watching Pippin, Gimli, Merry and Legolas pretending to fight together. The wizard sat besides him.  
  
"You do not realize how hard it is to formulate your thoughts until you have to write them down." Gandalf stated.  
  
"Actually, I just do not know what to write… This book is too beautiful; I do not want to waste it."   
  
"May I take a look on it?" Frodo handled the book to Gandalf. There were some carvings on the leather binding, and Gandalf explored them with the tip of his fingers. The book looked like a very old volume; he shook his head and gave it back to Frodo. "Why don't you just write what you feel?"  
  
Frodo smiled at his oldest friend. He held the pen tightly and started writing. Almost immediately, the ink spread on the page and disappeared.   
  
"Fool of a Took. A new trick of his." Gandalf mumbled. "Pippin!" He yelled.  
  
Pippin immediately stopped fighting against Legolas and came toward Gandalf and Frodo. As he pretended to ignore everything about it, the others came as well to see the book. The latter went through everyone's hands.  
  
"This symbol looks familiar to me, but I do not remember where I saw it." Aragorn noticed.  
  
"I had the same feeling when I looked at it. Pippin, you must tell us where you found it." Gandalf's stare was grave.  
  
"A man at the Prancing Poney sold it to me. He was quite drunk and he didn't even argue about the price!"  
  
"Pippin." Gandalf grumbled. "This is serious. How did he look like?"  
  
"Like a human!" Under the black stare of Gandalf, the Took continued. "He seemed to be thirty, maybe more, he was very tall…"  
  
"For one of your kind anyone is tall." Gimli noticed. Legolas rose an eyebrow at that statement and stared down at the dwarf, and the latter shrugged.  
  
"He had a beard, but no moustache; he had mid-length black hair, dusty clothes…"  
  
"What do you think it is, Gandalf?" Frodo asked, sounding a bit worried.  
  
"Perhaps nothing of importance. Our friend may have just been the victim of a prank." He turned to Pippin. "I think that man did not sell you a common book. But we will see about that later. Where does the ink come from?"  
  
"I bought it in Bree, I tried it on a normal paper and it worked. Try it!"  
  
Frodo gave a piece of paper to Aragorn who was holding the pen and the book. The pen worked perfectly on the small piece of paper, but as he tried again on the book, the ink spread all over the page and disappeared slowly with a range of different shades.  
  
"I had better find out what it could be. This book clearly has a particularity, and I suspect some magic might be at work here. Keep it locked, Frodo. I have to do some research about it." Gandalf stood up.  
  
"And what do you think it could be?" Gimli chuckled. "The One Book?"  
  


*****

  
  
Soon after Gandalf left, Merry and Pippin gathered in the first's house.  
  
"The One Evil Book of Power…" Pippin began dreamily. "Nah, already been done…" he said, shaking his head.  
  
"Pippin…"  
  
"Why not the One Evil Book of Doom?" the Brandybuck suggested.  
  
"Pippin, this is ridiculous…"  
  
"Oh. The One Evil Book of Despair, then? Is it better?"  
  
"It is not what I meant," Merry sighed.  
  
"Oh, wait! I have a greater one!" With a dramatic pose and a tragic tone, he said: "The One Evil Book of True Evilness."  
  
The other Hobbit stared at his cousin. "Do you listen to yourself sometimes?" He sighed again. "Look, you know this book is none of those, right?"  
  
Pippin shrugged. "We asked her for something stupefying. Then who knows?"  
  
"That is exactly what is worrying me."  
  
"Come on, it is just a magical trick to cheer them all up. Make them think there is a new evil to fight. And for the moment it is working perfectly."  
  
"So perfectly that Gandalf is gone to seek information about the book! And I can't even imagine how we managed to fool *him*! I mean, he's a wizard."  
  
"Well even wizards can be fools sometimes," Pippin grinned.  
  
"I am afraid you have the exclusivity in that domain…"  
  
"Anyway, Gandalf will soon be back to reveal that the book is not that special. In the meantime, I wish to play the game and convince the others that we might have yet another quest to carry. I am sure they will all be excited!"  
  
"And what will you do if Gandalf finds out there is more than meets the eye with this book?"  
  
Pippin sighed. "When did you become such a killjoy, Merry?"  
  
"When I grew up. You should try that too, before your son precedes you."  
  


*****

  
  
Samwise Gamgee examined his Master, who was thoughtfully watching through the window. The happiness brought by the party and the presence of his friends seemed to be already gone. It had all begun when the strangeness of the book had been discovered. Nonetheless, he was not absent like he had been for the past weeks. On the contrary, he seemed very… alive. Thoughtful, probably worried, but alive.  
  
"What do you think it is, Sam?" Frodo muttered, keeping his eyes on the landscape outside.  
  
"Are you talking about the book?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"I do not know, Mister Frodo," Sam admitted. "And I am not the one you should ask that question. You should wait for Gandalf's return and not ponder over it too much in the meantime."  
  
"I know. But I can't help wondering…"  
  
As he finished his sentence, Aragorn entered the room, slightly bent to adapt to the low ceiling. He was closely followed by both Legolas and Gimli.  
  
"Frodo," he said, "I have thought about that symbol on the book again, and I am convinced I already encountered it during one of my many travels."  
  
"Do you remember where?"  
  
"I am not totally positive yet, but still I am quite sure. We will have to wait for more information from Gandalf, but I think I saw it carved on the stones of the ruins of a temple, near the Grey Mountains."  
  
"It is north of Mirkwood," Legolas added. "I have not heard of such a place myself, but we silvan elves seldom wander that north of the border of the forest, especially that close to the mountains."  
  
A slight sniggering escaped Gimli's throat. The elf stared at him. "Sorry," the dwarf just said.  
  
"Unfortunately," Aragorn went on, "I am afraid I can not linger here until Gandalf's return. I left Minas Tirith for your birthday, and my absence from Gondor was supposed to last a few days only."  
  
"Can you not stay a little longer?" Sam asked.  
  
"I will wait until the end of the week, but eventually I will have to leave. I have important matters to discuss with King Eomer, and I have no messenger to warn about a delay."  
  
"Let us hope Gandalf will be back before the end of the week, then."  
  
"I fear Gandalf's searches for information can be extremely long at times…" Frodo stated.  
  
Aragorn nodded. "That is true. Anyway, I will do as I said. If Gandalf is not back yet at the end of the week, I will have to go back to Gondor."  
  


*****

  
  
Merry looked around him warily. He hadn't liked the Old Forest the first time he had ventured there, and it was not any better this time. He was not sure which way to follow, and Pippin had not been very helpful considering how reluctant he was to tell him how to find her. How had Pippin learned about her existence, anyway?  
  
But despite this Merry seemed to have reached his destination at last as he was now facing a little yet strange looking thatched cottage. He hesitantly knocked on the door.  
  
As no answer came, he called. "Huh, hello?"  
  
As if animated by a will of its own, the door opened.  
  
"All right…" Merry mumbled to himself. "This is absolutely not weird at all… And everything is going to be fine… I am just going to get in, ask her what this book is all about, and go home… Nothing will turn ill…"  
  
He slowly stepped in, and jumped when the door closed right behind him.  
  
"Welcome young Hobbit…"  
  
Merry froze at the sight of the… witch? He was not sure how she should be called. Her gaze was very insightful, and she oddly reminded him of Galadriel. "Good evening, Lady…" He hesitated, as he didn't know her name.  
  
"I have many names, but most people call me Lanera."  
  
"All right, huh, Lady Lanera…" he answered lamely. "Well… My friend came here a few days ago…"  
  
"That I already know…" the witch stated.  
  
Merry gulped uneasily. "And, you gave him a book and ink…"  
  
"The birdie asked for something stupefying… And something stupefying I gave him …"  
  
"Absolutely, but… I would like to know what is this book exactly."  
  
Lanera arched an eyebrow. "Being curious, are we? What is done is done, and can not be undone."  
  
The Hobbit laughed nervously. "Of course, but –"  
  
"The fishes are not ready yet. Come back next week."  
  
"Huh, actually I just want to know about the book…"  
  
"I can not leave my sandals alone."  
  
Merry stared at her. How exactly had Pippin made her understand what he wanted? She was totally crazy. "Look, just tell me if it is evil and I –"  
  
Anger flashed in her eyes. "Evil? What do you know about evil? Maybe you are evil yourself?" The witch's gaze suddenly became distant as she began to talk to herself. "Yes, the new birdie is evil… Only evil knows about evil… Yes, evil…"   
  
"Huh… And about that book?"  
  
Lanera rested her eyes on the Hobbit. "This is beyond your comprehension. A stupefying book it is, yes… But the clouds will gather in the sky and when the pond floods, make sure you do not exacerbate his wrath…"   
  
Wrath? Whose wrath? Merry wondered. None of this was making any sense. He will not manage to get anything out of her. "Mmh, I… think I will leave now…"  
  
Merry slowly stepped out while the witch kept on babbling. Once out and the door closed, he let out a sigh of relief. He had better hurry back to the Shire. He felt more and more worried about that book, and feared he and Pippin had done something terribly wrong when they gave it to Frodo…  
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Here we are again!  
Feel free to give us your opinion in a review if you wish to!  
Suggestions and constructive criticism always welcome.  
  
Stay tuned for chapter 4: "_Temptation_"!  
  
_**~ The 3 She-geeks ~**_  



	4. Temptation

**From Boredom to Boredoom…  
  
Chapter 4: Temptation**

  
  
  
Gandalf's early return was welcomed rather gladly by the wizard's former companions. He had been absent only a few days, and Aragorn had not left the Shire yet. But the grave look on Gandalf's face was enough to make them all worry as they gathered in Frodo's garden.  
  
Merry in particular seemed extremely nervous. He had told Pippin about his little talk with the witch, but his cousin assured him she might be crazy but the trick with the book was just about some special paper with invisible ink.  
  
It did not convince Merry at all, and he still thought they might have made a mistake.  
  
"You were quick," Frodo told the wizard.  
  
"I was, indeed… I had already seen the symbol on the book before, hence I knew where to look… And Shadowfax is the fastest mount on Middle-earth…"  
  
"So what information did you find?" Aragorn enquired.  
  
"It was a long ride, maybe you want some rest first, Mithrandir?" Arwen asked soflty.  
  
"I am afraid we do not have enough time for that." Gandalf looked down at Frodo who was half distressed and half excited. "Frodo, can you bring the book, please?"  
  
Frodo nodded and ran into the house. While he took the book out of the chest where it was hid, the others kept silent in the courtyard; Merry gave a black glare at his cousin as he seemed to enjoy the situation.  
  
The Hobbit came back, unwrapped some tissues around the book and gave it to Gandalf. However, the wizard dropped it willingly on the ground, and a strange déjà vu feeling overwhelmed Frodo. The friends formed a circle around the book and waited, watching it attentively, but nothing happened. Gandalf took something out of his pocket: it was a necklace with a shape matching the symbol. He delicately laid it down on the cover of the book.   
  
As nothing happened, Merry began to calm down and relaxed. His cousin gave him a nudge while Gimli stared at them severely, beginning to suspect something.  
  
Suddenly, the book opened on its own: the pages were turning but there was not enough wind to move them.  
  
"No, no, no!" Pippin walked nearer the book. "You're not supposed to do that!"  
  
Gandalf grabbed him before he reached the book. Pippin looked up at him pitifully. "Tell me it is one of your magical trick, Gandalf…"  
  
"What in the Valar's name have you done, fool of a Took? " Gandalf's voice was grave and surly. Pippin had never seen him so angry after any of his previous pranks, and the wizard's lips were shaking as he tried to keep the control over himself.  
  
They remained motionless for a short while. Pippin, still held by the collar, looked at everyone's faces. There was no sound but the pages turning over and over again. Merry finally stepped toward the wizard and put his hand on his arm, silently asking him to release his cousin.  
  
"It was just a prank… We wanted to cheer you up, you all looked so sad… Frodo was brooding all day long and I am sure you all were."  
  
Gimli looked down at Pippin and gave him a disapproving glare. The latter caught up his breath and continued.  
  
"It's only invisible ink… You know I am not ill-intentioned, Gandalf, I… I am good … I just wanted to please you and to…"  
  
"The book's pages stopped turning." Legolas noticed.  
  
Their attention was now focused on the book. It was still lying on the ground, opened in the middle when words suddenly emerged.   
  
"Who is Birdie?" Gimli asked as he was trying to make out the handwriting.   
  
Merry looked at his cousin with scare. "She called you birdie… She said the new birdie was evil… It is your fault, Pippin!" Merry shouted.  
  
"Who are you talking about?" Gandalf asked Merry as he was too angry to talk to the Took.  
  
"The witch, or a kind of witch, in the Old Forest… Pippin went to her asking for something surprising! Her name is… Eeeerrr…"  
  
"Lanera." Pippin whispered. "I did not want anything bad to happen; it's just a trick… just a trick…" The hobbit repeated it more to convince himself than to explain his behaviour. Frodo patted him gently.  
  
"We will overcome this. Gandalf, will you tell us what this is?"  
  
"Wait a second," Aragorn cut in, "I have heard that name before… Yes, Lanera… I think the symbol is hers… If I remember well, there was a tale saying she had been banished by her people thousands of years ago."  
  
Gimli couldn't help making a connection. "Is that another friend of yours, Master elf?" he asked with a chuckle.  
  
Legolas shook his head. "She is not an elf. Never an elf has ever been banished."  
  
"That is right," Gandalf added, "she is an incarnation of a Barrow-wight. I am afraid the tale you heard, Aragorn, is highly inaccurate and improbable, as Barrow-wights are evil spirits dwelling in the Barrow-downs, to the east of the Shire. You told me you met one before, on the way to Bree at the very beginning of the Quest of the Ring," he said looking at the Hobbits. "But according to my searches it seems the Witch-king – King of Angmar and future Nazgul", Gandalf clarified mostly for the attention of the Hobbits, and Frodo shivered at the mention of the Nazgul, "granted one of them with a human incarnation and great powers. Lanera."  
  
Both Pippin and Merry grew pale when they realized they had been in contact with an evil spirit.  
  
Gandalf went on. "She did not stay in the Barrow-downs with her former fellow spirits but traveled around Middle-earth to eventually settle near the Grey Mountains."  
  
"And she built a temple there…" Aragorn guessed. Seeing Gandalf's questioning glance, he added: "I have seen the ruins of this temple during a journey."  
  
The wizard nodded. "This temple allowed her to increase her powers, but soon after the creation of the White Council we learned about it, and Saruman was sent to destroy the temple and cut off her powers." He paused. "But considering the existence of this book, it seems he did not fulfill his mission…"  
  
"But why is she near the Shire now?" Arwen asked.  
  
"It is more a way to get back near the Barrow-downs I guess…"  
  
"And I assume she has the greatest powers one can have and wants to rule the world?" Gimli asked ironically.  
  
"This is a serious issue, Gimli. This book is definitely cursed, and you have activated it Pippin. It called you by the name he knows you by."  
  
"How could a book know my name?"  
  
"She told it." Gimli's voice sounded suddenly very grave. He had read the answer on the page.  
  
"I am afraid that this book is listening to us." Gandalf stated. "And it is answering you, Pippin."  
  
"But… but… It's Frodo's now! And *you* put the necklace on!" Pippin almost yelled, pointing at Gandalf. "And… and… and I am not evil…" His last sentence was forceless.  
  
The book wrote "Birdie is evil." No one went to the trouble of reading it aloud. Pippin fell on his knees and began to cry, still muttering he was not evil. Frodo stood besides him, patting his shoulders.  
  
"I know you wanted to do good, Pippin." Frodo assured.  
  
"We had better close it, now." Arwen suggested.  
  
Gandalf looked down suspiciously at the book and closed it with the tip of his staff, but when he tried to lift it, the book stuck to the ground. Legolas immediately helped the wizard but they didn't managed to make it move a single inch.  
  
Gimli turned his sleeves up and tried to lift it with all his strength but it was resolutely rooted in the ground.  
  
"Have you taken off the necklace?" Sam asked Gandalf.  
  
Aragorn was already trying unsuccessfully.  
  
"How did you close it?" Sam asked.  
  
Gandalf muttered to himself. He wasn't angry anymore, just extremely worried. Maybe *he* had actually activated it with the necklace…  
  
Gimli indicated Pippin with a nod. "Since this thing is listening to him…" The dwarf suggested.  
  
Pippin moved near the book and lifted it without any resistance. He took off the necklace and gave it to the wizard who folded the Hobbit's finger over the jewel. "We have some points to discuss…"  
  
"It's clouding over," Frodo noticed. "It will be raining in a short while, we had better go inside.".  
  
Everyone followed him into the house without a word. Merry went last; he looked up to the sky and whispered worryingly.  
  


*****

  
  
They all sat around the living room's table, only disturbed by the sound of the beginning rain outside.  
  
"So what is the problem with this book?" Frodo asked. "It is magic, all right, but what is wrong with it?"  
  
"It has been corrupted with the dark powers of the Witch-King through Lanera. Maybe even Saruman's." Gandalf answered. "Who knows what he might have done instead of cutting off her powers, like giving her some more…"  
  
"For the moment the only manifestations of its powers are the writings, and the fact that it seems to be able to listen to us and understand us," Aragorn noticed.  
  
"Does that mean the book is alive?" Sam suggested.  
  
Gimli snorted. "How could paper be alive?"  
  
"I will have you notice that paper comes from trees," Legolas answered, "and trees are very alive."  
  
"But paper becomes paper only once the tree is "killed"," the dwarf retorted, emphasizing the last word and using it on purpose instead of 'cut down' as he would have said had the elf not been there.  
  
To his greatest surprise, Gandalf added: "Not necessarily. I do not think it was the case with this book."  
  
Gimli stared at the wizard. He was about to say something about paper being made with the tree still alive, but dismissed the thought as he quickly realized its absurdity. Or maybe it was not that absurd. He had always had troubles with the notion of trees being alive, and even after years spent at Legolas's side that elven concept was still quite beyond his understanding.  
  
"Maybe Lanera has managed to catch a tree's essence in this book," Arwen suggested, "which would make it alive, before instilling dark powers in it."  
  
"That is what I thought too," Gandalf agreed.  
  
Gimli could not hold it anymore. "Oh. I see. So all we have to do is to free the essence of the poor tree trapped in this evil book," he said ironically.  
  
Most of the others stared at him with amusement. Actually, all but Pippin and Merry. The first was staring down at his feet, guilt still overwhelming him, while the second was preoccupied by the deterioration of the weather. He jumped when thunder stroke. The rain then became lashing, and Merry cast a worried look at the window.  
  
Aragorn noticed his unease. "Is anything wrong, Merry?"  
  
"I… I am not sure, but…" he hesitated, but was interrupted by another thunder. He finally made up his mind and shrugged. After all it was the beginning of autumn, there was no need to worry about the weather… was there? He shook his head. "No, nothing…"  
  
Aragorn cast a last glance at him before turning to Gandalf. "What are the extents of this book's power?"  
  
"That, I could not find in the documents I consulted," the wizard answered. "Unfortunately, the most recent facts retold about that Barrow-wight are almost as old as the creation of the White Council, and no information about her since Saruman was sent to cut off her powers was recorded. It was then that the necklace was filed, I only guessed its use."  
  
Pippin slightly opened his hand to give a look at the jewel. It was surely one of the most beautiful gems he had ever seen, and he probably would have thought it to be a great gift for Diamond had he not known about its origin. How could such a pretty thing rise so much evil?   
  
"It seems she has adopted a low profile since then…" Gandalf went on.  
  
"But if the necklace was found before the destruction of Lanera's temple," Frodo began, "it means the book might as well have been built by…" his voice trailed off.  
  
"Saruman," Legolas finished for him.  
  
A noisy lightning echoed outside as if to punctuate the sentence, providing the ambiance with an eerie gravity. Merry gave a new worried look at the window, and almost fell of his chair of surprise when the main door opened.  
  
They all turned to look at the young Hobbit standing in the doorframe, soaked to the skin and water dripping from his clothes on the straw matting. Frodo quickly recognized the son of one of his neighbors and walked to him.  
  
"What is going on, Melilot?"  
  
"I am sorry to disturb you, Mister Baggins," the young Hobbit said almost out of breath, "but I have to inform you that because of the driving rain the river is flooding. It is getting dangerous down there, so you all better stay in until the end. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to warn the others."  
  
He hurriedly left, closing the door behind him.  
  
"Flooding…" Merry muttered to himself.  
  
Gandalf had noticed his earlier unease, and eyed him suspiciously. "Do you have something to tell us, Meriadoc Brandybuck?"  
  
The Hobbit looked up at the wizard with embarrassment. "Well… It is something that… huh… Barrow-wight said…"  
  
Gandalf arched an eyebrow, inciting him to go on, which he did. He had never been able to endure the wizard's scrutinizing look very long, anyway. "She said the clouds would gather in the sky and the pond would flood, or something like that. And she also said something about exacerbating someone's wrath."  
  
Gandalf remained silent a few seconds, pondering over the situation. The sudden degradation of the weather was indeed somewhat strange…  
  
On his part, Pippin was getting more and more nervous as he felt a sudden urge to put the necklace down on the book. The jewel was almost burning in his hand, but he resisted firmly. Nonetheless, he had that strange impression that someone – or more likely something – wanted to talk to him. The book. He knew it was the book.  
  
"This might be some kind of curse," Gandalf eventually said, and for a second Pippin wondered if he was talking about him or just answering Merry. "I fear the only way to get to the bottom it would be to go see this Lanera…" he finished, getting up.  
  
Aragorn immediately got up as well. "I will come with you."  
  
Before anyone else could offer their help, Gandalf dismissed them with a quick movement of the hand. "I will go alone. There is no need for the presence of any of you. I will very likely have to deal with her magic, and I am afraid I am the only one here able to face it and to cut off her powers, as should have been done long ago."  
  
Pippin took several long and deep breaths. The urge was growing stronger, and he was not sure he would be able to resist it very long. His gaze rested on the cover of the book for a few seconds. It was so close to him… Within his reach… He jumped when he heard his name and turned to face the wizard.  
  
"Pippin, where is she to be found exactly in the Old Forest?"  
  
He immediately gave him indications to find his way, and when Gandalf focused his attention back to the rest of his audience, his gaze returned on the book. But he quickly averted his eyes and tried to concentrate on the ongoing conversation.  
  
The wizard had picked up his staff. "It should not be very long. Hopefully I will be back before nightfall."  
  
"You mean, you want to go now?" Sam asked worriedly. "Melilot said it was dangerous down the river, and you will have to cross it if you wish to reach the Old Forest."  
  
"That is true," Frodo added, "this might be too dangerous for the moment, you had better wait until tomorrow, it will be safer then."  
  
"Maybe not. If all this," he said pointing at the window, "is the manifestation of some kind of curse, I had better hurry and find out what the real powers of that Lanera are."  
  
The last part of the sentence was said like a statement, and no one would have dared contradict him.  
  
Once more, Pippin's eyes discreetly laid on the book. He closed them, trying to resist the temptation. After all, what evil could befall them? It was just some kind of auto-writing book… And it wanted to tell him something… Who would notice anyway? He slowly opened his eyes, and the only thing he could think about was to put the necklace on the book's cover. This obsession soon had the better of him, and he tentatively laid out the hand with the jewel clenched in his fist.   
  
As he was about to reach his goal, a hand grabbed his wrist, stopping his movement. Pippin looked up, and his eyes met Legolas's. The elf silently shook his head, slowly releasing his grasp. The Hobbit looked around. To his greatest relief, no one else seemed to have noticed as they all were worried by Gandalf's soon leaving. He was happy they had not all witnessed his weakness.  
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Here we are again!  
Feel free to give us your opinion in a review if you wish to!  
Suggestions and constructive criticism always welcome.  
  
Stay tuned for chapter 5: "_Possessed_"!  
  
_**~ The 3 She-geeks ~**_  



End file.
